This past week, New Balance announced their latest collaboration with recent signee, Portland-based rapper, Aminé. The sneaker they’re working on looks like the hiking-inspired hybrid 610 silhouette and features a snow globe detail on the heel with a floating banana, iridescent patent leather wrapping around the upper, and a holographic image of Aminé’s smiling face as if he’s trapped in the shoe. These are all really exciting details, as I can’t recall the last time I saw a snow globe on a shoe, especially not one with a floating bundle of bananas.
I say all of this to prove that New Balance is doing something innovative and refreshing in the sneaker space, and, in my opinion, is one of the few brands holding the attention of the masses. Their ability to merge products with talent and cultural figures is something to take note of. New Balance is winning the collaborations space, which has also helped amplify a lot of their other general-release sneakers.
It should be noted that New Balance has been working with outside partners for years, but what seemed like the “Big Bang” for their newfound collaborative presence was their first project with streetwear brand, Aimé Leon Dore in 2019. Originally, New Balance’s brand ethos was solely focused on high-performing product for every athlete’s needs, while the aesthetics and hype behind the products came second. Sure, they had collaborations with sneaker shops like Concepts and Hanon throughout the years, but those were niche releases that resonated more so to sneakerheads. With ALD having their fingers on the pulse of trending styles– including vintage aesthetics and old-school hip-hop– the partnership between the two brought New Balance into a new field of fashion and hype culture. New Balance was now becoming cool to a wider demographic.
Its first release with ALD, which was a rework of the 997, was one of the first times, from what I could remember, seeing New Balance offered at fashion boutiques, like Need Supply (RIP), SSENSE, and Mr. Porter. It was this collab that helped get New Balance out of its dad-shoe connotation and transform it into a must-have brand that could be paired with high-end streetwear pieces. The sneakers sold out instantly on every site, thanks to Aimé Leon Dore’s style of marketing and love of vintage running looks. The brand was able to tell a story with New Balance that was refreshing, elevated, and highly aspirational.
After the success of the 997, New Balance moved on to further collaborations with ALD on silhouettes like the 990v2, 827, and the popular 550, which has helped spark a widespread resurgence for late 80s basketball sneakers. New Balance was hitting the mainstream. When some brands know they have a hot shoe on their hands, they tend to just rely on that one style for multiple seasons. But with New Balance and their newfound success, they only kept their foot on the gas, realizing that if they pair meaningful storytelling with specific brands and artists that have a story to tell, they will continue to create products that millions of people want, and give a spotlight to the other general-release sneakers that they already offer.
New Balance 992 Joe Freshgoods (2020)
New Balance 990v3 JJJJound (2022)
New Balance 2002R Salehe Bembury (2020)
New Balance would later work with Chicago artist Joe Freshgoods, whose releases center around amplifying black experiences. Internet mood boarder-turned-clothing brand, JJJJound, found a relationship with New Balance as well, producing collabs that continued to add an elevated DNA through the use of high-quality materials, minimalist designs, and limited quantity goods. These are two of the many other meaningful partnerships that New Balance has developed since 2018 that have helped bring the brand to new levels within the sneaker space, while, simultaneously, developing captivating releases that bring freshness to a seemingly stale market.
New Balance has cracked the code on how to bring a brand out of the ashes and into a more popular landscape that is vivacious. New Balance is only getting started and I can’t wait to see what more they have in store. This upcoming Aminé collaboration is something new to look forward to, and rumors of other ALD drops and potential JJJJound partnerships keep my attention locked on the New Balance.
